


Brace For It

by SarcasticallyA



Category: Naruto
Genre: Awkward Tension, Embarrassment, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23425261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarcasticallyA/pseuds/SarcasticallyA
Summary: "The hell did you little shi-" Temari cuts herself mid sentence once she lays her eyes on the scene in front of her. Silence reigns over the room as the three inhabitants stare at eachother with different degrees of awkwardness.
Relationships: Gaara/Rock Lee
Comments: 10
Kudos: 156





	Brace For It

**Author's Note:**

> ;)

"Lets try once more. " Lee suggests, although there's a clear shadow of resignation over his words and in the beat of silence that predecess his encouragement.

"This time it will work out!" He exclaims with a soft tone very unlike the usual fervor he employs with every word. The _maybe_ goes implied by the way his eyes don't linger on the face in front of his.

"I really don't think it will." Comes the response to his suggestion, accompanied by a sigh that mirrors his own frustration towards the situation at hand.

"We can't do this any longer. We're making no progress." Gaara states, knowing that the longer they dwell on it will make reaching out for help even harder. He hates to admit defeat, hates even more the thought of letting someone see him like this. But he'll have to swallow his pride for Lee's sake. 

"We need help." Lee complies, coming to the same conclusion as his beloved. Giving up once it's more than apparent that the solution for their troublesome predicament is out of his hands. Shoulders slouched down with the weight of his defeat. 

Gaara spares him a sympathetic glance before reaching for his phone so he can contact his sister, the only useful and adequate person to possibly help the two. 

* * *

> **Hey Tem?**
> 
> _Yes?_
> 
> **You're going to be home soon, right?**
> 
> _Yeah, I'll be there in 10_
> 
> _Why?_
> 
> _Did you need me to pick up something on my way back?_
> 
> **No I just need you're help**
> 
> _Did Lee leave already?_
> 
> _Extra training again?_
> 
> **No he's here**
> 
> _Then why do you need MY help_
> 
> _Lee can't help you out???_
> 
> **No he needs your help too**
> 
> _Okay, I'd expect this vagueness from Kanks not you_
> 
> _What's going on?_
> 
> **There is no need for you to be alarmed**
> 
> **But there's been an accident...**
> 
> _Thanks that's really reassuring_
> 
> _What the hell did you boys do?_
> 
> **It's nothing serious**
> 
> **But we do need your help to fix it**
> 
> _Well I'm almost there, try not to die in the meantime_
> 
> **We'll try**

* * *

"Temari is on her way." He informs Lee after sending his sister a final message, a brief nod is the only acknowledgment he gets. His boyfriends mouth is a thin line that titlts down at the corners, a telltale sign Lee is in deep thought, and despite the seriousness on his face Gaara still finds the pouting rather adorable. 

Now they play the waiting game, using their last moments alone to prepare for Temaris possible reaction when she comes home and sees them. Both having a mental list of different outcomes and how to deal with them, in the making. 

"I'm home! You have 5 minutes to make yourselves decent if you aren't right now!" A familiar voice calls out from somewhere near the entrance, followed by the shutting of a door and keys clicking against a ceramic bowl. 

"We're in here." Gaara calls out, and if his sister notices something odd in the way he speaks she makes no comment about it. 

Temaris footsteps quickly approach her little brothers room, making both boys stomachs knot with uncomfortable expectation. 

"The hell did you little shi-" Temari cuts herself mid sentence once she lays her eyes on the scene in front of her. Silence reigns over the room as the three inhabitants stare at eachother with different degrees of awkwardness.

Finally, after 5 too long minutes, Temari walks right back out of the room and has the decency to close the door before bursting out in laughter. 

Lee looks about ready to be swallowed by the earth, cheeks beet red, hands grasping at the bed sheets like a lifeline and eyebrows furrowed in an evolutioned form of his earlier pout. Gaaras face remains as impassive as ever, if subtly disturbed by the crease in his own sparse brows and the way his lips lay in a thinner line than usual. Clearly not amused by his sisters outburst. 

Of course, the universe would have it that Gaaras first time initiating intimacy, even if it was just a kiss -that would had hopefully developed into some heavy petting- would end up with him and his boyfriend quite literally stuck to each other; or to be more precise, stuck to each other's braces. Yet another item on Gaaras growing list of why he hated braces in general.

The only Pro occupying said list was the fact he loved how Lee looked with them and how giddy he was everytime he got to change the bands colors, which usually resulted in a mismatch of clashing colors. Although some shade of green was always present. 

The sound of the door opening again brought Gaara back to the present. A not at all subtle glare pointed at his sister, who was wiping tears from her eyes, no doubt from how hard she laughed. At least she didn't laugh directly at their faces like Kankuro would surely have done if he'd been in their sisters place; The main reason Gaara asked for her help and not his older brother. 

"Do I even want to know how you got like this?" Temari asks with poorly hid amusement, Lee avoids looking at her at all cost while Gaara merely sighs. 

"Just, untagle us please." At this point Gaara just wants to wallow in his self misery and maybe eat a sandwich, after all him and Lee hadn't been able to have lunch for obvious reasons. 

Temari sets to work shortly after, assessing how exactly the two boys are stuck to each other and the best and possibly least painful way to untangle them. All three hope busting a brace isn't necessary because that would be one akward conversation with the dentist.

It takes a whole 10 minutes and a lot of _gently_ repositioning their heads and tugging, but in the end the two are free. 

The first thing Lee does is crack his back and subsequently groan with satisfaction, his muscles thankful for not having to be bent in an awkward position any longer. 

"Thank you for your assistance Temari, and we are sorry you had to get involved with all of this." Ever polite Lee thanks, even if he can't quite meet Gaara's sisters gaze. 

"Don't worry Lee, I don't mind." Temari assures and the next moment she turns to adress her brother, a feline grin on her lips. "You owe me intel or a favor." 

Gaara rolls his eyes but complies with "What do you want to know." 

His sister let's out a soft "Hmm" as she organizes the questions in her mind and then prioritizes which one she wants an answer to most urgently. 

"The lipstick Kankuro used for the party at Kibas place was mine, or not?" She demands to know, arms crossed over her chest. 

"Yeah, it's yours. He keeps it hidden in one of his bed drawers." Gaara replies swiftly, ready to throw Kankuro under the bus if it means getting his sister out of his room and possibly take her mind off what just happened before she has the chance to think of teasing him. 

"That little weasel! That's my favorite shade!" Temari barks with annoyance, her brother shrugs in a familiar and frequent way that conveys ' _That's Kankuro for you_ '. 

"Well... his bedroom is all yours to explore right now." The youngest sibling supplies. Temaris features light up at that. 

"I'll teach that worm not to touch my stuff ever again." Temari grumbles and stalks out of the room with a mission in mind. Gaara almost feels sorry for Kankuro, almost. After all his older brother _did_ eat the last of the salted chocolate Lee had bought for him. 

" Oh, Gaara." Temari pokes her head back in and smiles. Years of experience tell Gaara that means bad news. 

"Enjoy the Springtime of your youth. Just try not to be too _fervent_ about it." And with that said Temari finally leaves for certain. 

When they're finally alone Lee let's himself face plant into the cacti sheets of his boyfriends bed and let's out a strangled noise of embarrassment. Gaara once again is torn between feeling sympathy for Lee and finding his pouting very very charming. It's actually quite hard for him to find something that isn't charming about Lee. 

"If as you say, want to see the bright side, this could have gone a lot worse." Gaara supplies in an attempt to cheer up his significant other. An attempt that unsurprisingly works, because it's Lee who he's dealing with and if there's anything Lee is better at than self discipline it's being able to cheer up and find a reason to be optimistic in even the most dyer of situations.

"I guess you are right." Lee concedes, sitting up right and offering his most precious person a soft smile. "I do have some time left to spend with you."

"Which means we could still watch a movie before you have to leave." Gaara comments casually although he's already getting comfortable in bed and offering Lee the control to pick what they're going to watch.

With such a good proposition it's impossible for Lee to say no, so he gladly takes the control and settles next to Gaara, pulling him close with his free arm wrapped around his waist. The weight of his boyfriend is warm and pleasent, almost like a blanket that envelops him just the right amount of snug. Gaara smiles to himself and rests his head on Lees chest, the steady sound of his heartbeat a familiar and comforting melody.

Their hands find eachother when the remote control lays forgotten somewhere on the bed and the opening title of a movie plays on the screen.The contrast between smooth slender fingers and thicker calloused ones is absolutely perfect, just as the tender kiss planted on the crown of wispy red hair and the soft reply kiss on the underside of a jaw are too.

It's safe to say that neither minds a blow or two to their pride if it means spending time with their most precious person. 

**Author's Note:**

> This train wreck was born from me reminiscing on my days with braces & remembering all the times I had to untagle a friend's sleeve from his braces just because he couldn't stop the habit of biting the hems of it. 
> 
> What sort of Modern AU/Timeline this is you may be asking. Honestly, hell if I know.
> 
> Hope you liked this AU no one asked for ❤️


End file.
